


The Storm

by FairyLights101



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkward Crush, Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 12:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10412469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyLights101/pseuds/FairyLights101
Summary: Hinata is a force to be reckoned with, as abrupt and unpredictable as a storm - and it's all Semi can do to keep up with him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous said to fairylights101writes:  
> hello! your info box says you are open to requests and your info page says you might be interested in pairings other than those you listed, so would you be interested in writing semi eita/hinata (semihina)? maybe them meeting up after the shira match and just clicking together and hinata inviting semi to play volleyball together or hang out? i read your tensemi fic on ao3 and i love your characterizations of both tendou and semi. and also a++++ writing. and i'm sorry if this is a bother.

“Hey! Kid! Number ten!” 

The kid leapt up, almost as though he’d been electrocuted, before he hit the ground and whipped around, amber eyes wide, hair still damp with sweat. His mouth popped open and he straightened up, limbs snapping in until he was almost ramrod straight and stiffer than a board. “H-hi! You’re the pinch server, right? Ah… Sumi?” 

Semi managed to keep it to a thin-lipped smile as he shook his head and stilled a few steps from the young player. “Not quite. Semi. Semi Eita.” 

If possible, the kid’s eyes widened even further, almost comical - and reminiscent of Satori, but  _ infinitely _ less creepy. He shot down into a bow, torso nearly horizontal with the floor. “God, I’m so sorry! I just… kinda forgot. But I’m Hinata Shouyou!” Hinata sprang upright as quick as he’d bowed down, all sunshine smiles and wide eyes as he beamed at Semi. “I’m kinda bad with names, but Kageyama is worse! But I don’t forget players, and your pinch serves were  _ so cool!  _ Like! They just went  _ pow _ and  _ wham _ and  _ swoosh _ and- and-!” Hinata’s arms, which had punctured his strange sound effects with sharp movements, came together as he clapped his hands, practically quivering on the floor as he beamed up at Semi. 

All the teen could do was blink, more than a little confused, before he smiled too. “Well, I’m glad you liked my serves.”  _ It’s the least I can do.  _

Hinata shook his head frantically, pulled Semi from his thoughts before he could sink in too far, and Hinata stepped closer, staring him down, almost seeing  _ through _ him as his hands fell, clenched by his sides. “No, I didn’t like them - I  _ loved _ them. They were  _ phenomenal.  _ You were so in control of them… you had so much power and accuracy… I can’t serve like that. I’m still… I don’t have a lot of skills yet, but one day I wanna serve like you, Semi. I want to be the best.” 

Semi blinked, all traces of bitterness - from Shirabu, from being shafted to pinch server, from striving all year to be  _ better,  _ from the loss just a few scarce minutes ago - dissipating as his shoulders sank. Hinata’s gaze was unwavering, an inferno in those amber eyes as they stripped Semi down, left him bare before the little decoy. His fists tightened, muscles in his lithe arms shifting as he straightened his back, stood a little taller. And, just for a moment, Semi could almost feel a cold shadow wash over him, sending shivers down his spine as  _ something _ swept through him beneath the force of that intense stare.  _ Well. A ‘little giant’ indeed.  _ He smiled. “Keep practicing then.” 

Hinata stepped closer, head cocked to the side, shadows in his eyes. “I will. I’ll never stop.” 

Semi took a step back, a bitter taste in mouth -  _ fear. This kid is a demon.  _

Hinata’s head twitched and a radiant smile overtook his face, eyes brightening as he bounced forward and whipped out his cellphone, a simple gray thing with a cat charm threaded through the loop at the top. “If you don’t mind, can you give me serving practice? You’re just super good, and it’d be awesome to learn from you! I don’t think any of our teammates would mind too!” 

Semi could only stare at Hinata for a long moment, more than a little baffled, before he slowly reached out and took the flip phone from Hinata’s fingers. The smile he already wore stretched even wider, almost blinding, a ray of warmth that shattered the cold that had congealed somewhere in Semi’s gut, leaving him spinning almost as he looked at the phone and silently tapped his number in. He passed it back to Hinata, who beamed at him and ducked into another swift bow. “Thank you so much! I know it’s soon, but does next weekend sound okay? I have to work hard if I’m gonna stop being a burden to the team!” 

_ A burden, huh?  _ Semi jerked his chin up and nodded. “Fine, but if you can’t keep up…” 

“I’ll keep up!” Hinata huffed. 

“Oi! Hinata! Get your ass over here!” 

Hinata’s face soured, but the irritation wasn’t even close to genuine, and another sunshine smile bloomed again as Hinata started to back up and wave, the cat charm swaying in the air. “Bye Semi! I’ll text you later! Thanks for the awesome game!” 

Semi merely raised his hand in a half-assed wave that Hinata seemed more than willing to accept, because he whirled around and darted down the hall to where their setter, Kageyama stood, tall and dark, staring back down at Semi, who met his gaze until the young teen turned, hands stuffed into his pockets, and started to walk, Hinata bouncing next to him. Only once they turned the corner did Semi allow himself to sag a little and sigh, head spinning.  _ What the fuck even… he’s weird.  _ Weird, and yet something in him drew Semi, curious and intriguing. Reminiscent of his own first year, and the more recent times too. His hand curled into a fist, tape tugging at skin, his pinky throbbing dully from where he’d jammed it the practice before the games.  _ We’ll see.  _

A hand slapped his back and Semi whirled around, a scowl already on his lips.  _ “What?”  _ he snapped at Tendou, who ogled him for a long moment before he shrugged. 

“Nothing,” Tendou sang, “Just that  _ you’re blushing,  _ ‘n it’s kinda cute, Semisemi.” Semi stiffened, eyes narrowing as he lunged forward, but Tendou danced away from his outstretched hand, cackling and grinning while he wiggled his fingers at Semi. “Better luck next time!” 

“Fuck you.” But he couldn’t deny the way his cheeks burned, or how his hand instantly slapped his pocket when he felt his phone buzz. Tendou just gave him a knowing smile, one he didn’t want to bother attempting to decipher, not now. Instead he sneered and shook his head. “Best hope Coach doesn’t watch you goofing off, otherwise you’ll be doing a  _ lot _ more than the rest of us, ass wipe.” 

Tendou instantly went still, eyes wide, and then they narrowed as he glared at Semi. “You win this round, Eita,” he said softly as he raised one bandaged finger and pointed it at Semi. “But next one… your head is mine.” 

“Eat my entire ass, Satori.” 

“Ah,” Tendou grinned, “But you’d enjoy that.” 

Semi sighed, cast a look to the ceiling, the sky, and whatever higher power existed and sent a quick prayer to  _ fucking strike him down where he stood  _ before he leveled a bland stare at Tendou and brushed past him. “C’mon, or they’ll leave us.” 

“Nah, Miracle Boy wouldn’t let them.” 

“No, but if it was me, I’d leave you in a heartbeat.” 

“So cold, Semisemi!”

* * *

 

Hinata texted him that night, a happy little thing with his name and a  _ ‘hope you’re doing okay!!!!’  _ that was infuriatingly…  _ sweet.  _ And, perhaps even worse, was how he found himself texting Hinata throughout the week, shooting messages back and forth between classes and after practices, because Semi and the other third years had decided to keep practicing with the team for as long as they could. 

Hinata randomly sent pictures - the count so far was thirty-six things related to volleyball, four cats, seven of his sister, and least thirteen of dogs, one of he and that Kageyama guy, and one of him and the tiny blond manager - as well as random little snippets of his day, or questions. The latter tended to revolve around volleyball, but there were other questions too, ones asking how his day was, more about the team and the players,  _ especially _ Ushijima and Goshiki, and more about  _ him.  _ Not questions of  _ ‘how long do you practice???’  _ but  _ ‘Semi, what’s your favorite color?’  _ and  _ ‘Semi!!!! I really thought you’d like this!’  _ with a picture of a long-haired silky gray and cream-colored cat, apparently Sugawara’s, the reserve setter. 

And, strangely enough, he found himself enjoying those messages. Hinata was energetic, kind of like Goshiki, but a new element, one he hadn’t experienced before, because while Goshiki was all fire and puppy-like eagerness, Hinata was something wholly  _ other,  _ some part of his mere existence demanding attention. And so Semi gave it, more than willingly, until that Saturday, when he had Hinata before him once more, grinning, cheeks flushed. “Sorry!” he panted, “I… I ran here! Thought I might… as well… warm up!” 

“You ran over the mountain?” Hinata merely grinned, eyes bright and smile like  _ pure fucking sunshine.  _ Semi rolled his eyes and shoved one of the bottles of water he’d brought into the redhead’s face. “Drink, moron.” 

Hinata pursed his lips in a halfhearted pout, but he tipped the water back and guzzled it, draining half in one go before he closed it up, already bouncing on his toes again. “So, what’re we gonna do first? Serves? We can do receives too, cause I’m pretty bad at those! Kageyama is always like  _ ‘why can’t you do it like this’  _ and  _ ‘do it properly, you scrub!’  _ which is  _ not _ fun. But he’s cool.” 

Semi snorted at Hinata’s impression of the setter, and he shook his head as he pointed to the gym floor. “Stretch with me.” They limbered up, Hinata chattering away about his sister, who had begged to come along, but he’d managed to convince her to go play football with the neighborhood kids, and that had interested her far more. Semi listened with half an ear as he guided Hinata through stretches, some of which were new to the younger teen, but he picked up almost immediately, nimble and flexible and sharp - for volleyball at least. Hinata had confessed about his less-than-stellar grades, though Semi hadn’t been able to laugh too hard, because he wasn’t doing much better. 

After stretches, they jogged around the gym for a few minutes, both breathing easy in the cool morning air. They stopped for water, and then the real training began. Semi had pulled out the stand from the equipment room and set it up, and he stood atop it and spiked ball after ball down until he had a decent understanding of Hinata’s receives and the flaws in them, then clambered down. He had Hinata watch him a few times and point out things they did differently, and then he guided Hinata through some of the mistakes he’d missed, as well as the correct stances and moves he wasn’t quite able to replicate on his own. 

And that was how Semi realized that Hinata, in his own way, was  _ brilliant.  _ He picked up on corrections and things surprisingly quick, and he seemed to understand what he needed to do, even if he couldn’t do it immediately. But Semi watched, slightly amazed, as Hinata moved into place with perfect form, as lithe as someone who’d been doing it that way for years would, and when the ball thumped to the floor to rest Hinata stared up at him, eyes wide and mouth open. 

“Semi?” 

He blinked. Smiled.  _ God, you’re going to be a terror. I wish I could play against you when you’re at your best.  _ “Nothing, just… good form.” 

Hinata  _ beamed,  _ and Semi felt his chest give an odd little twist as he raised another ball to spike. They carried on for another hour and a half, Hinata persistent that they keep going until he felt pleased enough to finally take a break so they could both chug some water and take a few minutes to breathe before they went back out. This time, once they’d collected all the balls, Semi planted Hinata at the end of the court and shoved a ball into his hands. “Alright, now show me your serves.” 

“Okay!” Hinata took a few steps back and held the ball in front of his chest, head a little bowed, utterly still for the first time that day. And yet the tension in his body practically radiated off of him, and the way he was overthinking was painfully visible with how his eyes narrowed and lips thinned into an uncertain twist. Hinata drew in a breath. His eyes flicked up. He tossed the ball high into the air and swung his arm, the ball connecting with a  _ smack.  _ It was decently strong at least - nowhere near his spikes - but it also hit the net, and Hinata’s shoulders slumped a little when he saw it fall back onto their side of the court for a moment before he spun around and snatched up another ball. The young teen took his place by the line, body tighter than before, eyes more focused, forehead creased with worry. 

Semi licked his lips.  _ He’s overthinking it and getting too tense. He’s worried about making a mistake - that’s going to mess it up. He’s going to flub it again. Shit, he’ll be lucky if it goes over the net.  _

But he bit his tongue and watched as Hinata hesitantly spun the ball in his hands before his head rose. He tossed the ball up and swung - and missed the ball entirely. He stumbled forward a few steps, face blank for a moment before muted horror rushed in and his eyes snapped to Semi, then back to the ball. “Sorry…” Hinata swept the ball up and jogged back to the line, resettled himself, wound up even tighter than before. 

Semi stepped forward and planted a hand on Hinata’s shoulder. “Stop.” The teen flinched and looked up at him, already pouting - already aware that things were  _ not _ going well. Semi gently eased the ball from Hinata’s hands and took him by the shoulders, staring him straight in the eye. “Hinata, you’re too tense.” 

Amber eyes fluttered. “What?” 

Semi sighed, shook his head, but a laugh chased his exhale as he gently shook Hinata. “Loosen up. You look like you’re about to get your ass reamed by the principal.” 

Hinata grimaced, eyes snapping to the side for a second before they found his face once more. “So… how do I do that?” 

“First of all, you gotta fucking  _ breathe.  _ Secondly, try not to think about the fuckups. We all mess up a serve or two. You just have to focus on how your body moves, on the only goal: getting it over the net. I don’t give a shit how it gets over - we’ll work on making you strong, but for now, we rebuild your entire form, and make you into the fucking awesome server you have the potential to be.” 

Hinata stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, face totally blank. And then a smile started to spread, shy excitement creeping out as his eyes scrunched up. “I’m really glad you’re the one teaching me, Semi.” 

He was almost certain he felt his heart trip a beat, and he slapped a hand over his face to hide how it  _ burned _ as he shook his head. “Dear God, kid…” he mumbled. And yet there was a tightness in his chest, nice, pleasant, and everything he hadn’t expected - and wasn’t entirely sure he wanted.

* * *

 

They settled into a routine - texts swapped every day, sometimes varying in frequency, but Semi could always be assured that the topics he’d see throughout would be unpredictable at best, volleyball and Kageyama excluded. On free days - weekends, days out from school - they met up at Shiratorizawa and commandeered the gym using the keys Semi had filched and copied from Ushijima the year prior, right when he’d realized he was going to lose his spot. They would practice for hours, going over the form for receives and serves until Semi felt confident enough in Hinata’s form to ask Tendou to join, as hellish as that could be. Surprisingly, that actually went well. He and Hinata clicked well, and Tendou had strong spikes that would be challenging for a “scrub” like Hinata. 

That made it easier to give him realistic situations rather than just perch on the stand and spike down to him. Now it was live, two against one, Hinata doing his best to receive everything he could. And the improvements he made in leaps and bounds were impossible to miss. Tendou pointed it out too one day with a  _ “damn, he picks up quick”  _ that Semi had merely nodded too, mouth conveniently too full of food to reply. They worked serves too, and Tendou used that opportunity to play lazy around and read manga - though more often than not even his eyes were on Hinata, watching as the tension gradually fled his body, replaced by an eerie calm and a strange look in his eyes, shadows all across his face. A look that gave Semi all sorts of chills he couldn’t even begin to sort out and identify. But, like that, things were consistent, predictable. 

And then things began to change. 

Hinata started to spend the night with him on Saturdays so they could practice on Sunday too. The three of them went out to eat after hours upon hours of practice, and Semi would end up seated next to him all too often for his tastes, humming happily and wearing a painfully distracting smile that stole Semi’s attention from his food so much that it was often lukewarm at best before he managed to get more than a few bites down. 

But the worst part was that Tendou never spent the night, and then he started to abandon Semi, leaving the after-practice meals supposedly to hang out with the Karasuno setter, the reserve one. He couldn’t tell if that was a lie or not, and in the end, he didn’t care, because he’d still bitched Tendou out, and it didn’t change the fact that he was currently staring at his ceiling, desperately trying to not think of the warm body curled up next to him. 

Hinata, despite his explosive nature during the day, crunched in on himself at night, limbs curled in tight so that he became a ball, usually with a blanket or sheet wrapped around him so that all that was visible was a mess of orange hair. But at some point in the night Hinata had shifted and rolled onto his side, and now his soft face was turned to Semi. He was so close that Semi could make out the freckles on his cheeks, a faint dusting that drew his eyes - and his fingers until he’d snatched his hand back. But  _ God,  _ did he want to trace over Hinata’s features - cheeks still soft with baby fat, pale lips, a fine nose, across weary eyes and up into his hair. But he kept his hands to himself.

_ Hinata is younger than me. He’s just a first year. I’ll be graduating soon.  _

Admittedly, Hinata was an older first year, but Semi still wouldn’t make a move. Not unless Hinata did. Because, as much attraction as he’d found himself being filled with for the younger teen, as brash as he could be, he wasn’t  _ that _ sure of himself.  _ Sets,  _ he knew.  _ Serves,  _ he knew even better.  _ Volleyball,  _ he knew as well as he knew the posters that had been hanging in his room for the last year. But  _ romance?  _ A totally foreign territory he’d never had personal experience in, nothing beyond those damn shoujo manga Tendou had shoved his way. 

And maybe that was why he found his hand creeping back up, fingers pressed to Hinata’s lips. Why, when the young teen shifted, his lips twitching slightly, but he didn’t move away, his heart thumped a little harder. Why, when Hinata still didn’t wake, he shifted closer, eyes shut tight, and pressed a kiss to his forehead that lingered and  _ lingered _ until his heart started to beat a little harder and he pulled back, face on fire. And Hinata still slept on. 

_ Probably for the best. _

* * *

 

Gray clouds had gathered on the horizon. Semi narrowed his eyes at them through the windows of the gym. The air was sticky, heavy with the promise of a storm, and on a warm, almost hot autumn day, it was uncomfortable, especially when the gym’s fans had crapped out the week before. They were both feeling the effects of it, dripping sweat and breathing a little heavier than usual, especially since it felt like they’d just started. Hinata had sprawled out on the floor, face twisted into a scowl as he stared up at the ceiling. “It needs to stop being hot. It’s almost  _ November _ .” 

Semi snorted and shook his head. “I wish. Hopefully soon.” 

Hinata hummed, turned his head to the side so he could fully look at Semi. “I don’t-” he paused, a faint twitch in his hands, and Semi’s eyes narrowed as he raised an eyebrow. But Hinata was grinning a moment later, bright and easy as he sat up. “Let’s work some more, yeah?” 

Semi rolled his eyes, but he set his water bottle to the side and moved to the sideline so Hinata could work his receives more. Tendou had opted to not come - he’d mentioned something about plans Sugawara, and Semi had just sighed, hadn’t even bothered to respond. Truly, it felt like his now ex-teammate was simply trying to  _ force  _ him into saying something, to getting over his nerves, but Semi had clenched tighter on them, shoved them deeper. And now, he threw his focus solely into Hinata’s form, which had improved by leaps and bounds in the last few months. 

He almost looked like another person as he served, no longer the easy standstill one, but a simple jump serve. It wasn’t like Kageyama’s, sharp and brutal, far off from Ushijima’s absolute, overwhelming force, anything but Oikawa’s deadly precision with even more dangerous strength - but it was  _ something.  _ The week before, Hinata had managed to get thirty-seven serves over before one had even skimmed the net. He’d managed seven more before one had hit the net instead. His control had been tightening, the balls landing in the court more often than not, and with a good amount of power too. Hinata had picked up on some of his habits, much to Semi’s embarrassment - most noticeably, how he stuck his tongue out in concentration, brow furrowed but body  _ loose,  _ before he served. That had made him flush from ears to neck the first time he’d seen it. 

Semi was better at it now, watching the problem spots instead of Hinata’s pretty face as the body tossed the ball up and rocked forward. Despite the  _ astounding _ heights he could leap to, even from a dead start, he was still hesitant about jumping for serves, something that Semi clicked his tongue at. 

The moment Hinata hit the floor again his face screwed up as he turned. “I know!” he groaned, “I don’t mean to! I’m really trying.” 

“Pretend you’re going for a spike - it’s about the same.” 

“... You’re right. Okay, so if I toss it up and then do a running start and just pretend it’s stupid Kageyama tossing it to me…” Hinata whirled around, snatched another ball up. His second jump was far better, higher than the first - not as much as his spikes, but there were always differences in the heights people made between the two. Thunder rumbled through the air. 

Hinata turned to him with a grin. “If I hit fifty in a row, will you set to me?” 

Semi’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “Good luck.” 

It took three hours, and by then the air had grown heavier, cooler, as the thick storm clouds raced in, blanketing over them and filling the air with the scent of oncoming rain. But Hinata had done it, and he stared at the final ball that had  _ just _ landed inbounds as he clutched his knees and panted, grinning from ear to ear. He straightened up after a moment, whipped around, and pumped his fist. “Semi! I did it! Set to me!” 

“Drink water first, dumbass.” 

Hinata pursed his lips in a pout, but they both headed over to the edge of the gym and grabbed their water bottles, Hinata chugging while Semi’s eyes drifted out to the sky. The clouds were darker, heavier. Thunder rolled through the air. “Can’t do it long, unless you like walking back in the rain.” 

Hinata grinned. “That’s okay, you can set to me more tomorrow, right?” 

Semi held his gaze for a moment, that excited smile leaving his heart thumping and his cheeks warm as he shrugged noncommittally. But that was enough for Hinata, who threw his head back in a laugh before he closed his bottle and grabbed Semi’s arm, his small hands rough, hot. He barely managed to set his water down, nearly in a daze as he allowed Hinata to draw him forward onto the court, the smaller teen nearly vibrating with excitement. 

Semi, on the other hand, wasn’t sure  _ what _ to feel. Relief, because it had been so long since he’d set without the looming knowledge of  _ ‘I still won’t be good enough’.  _ Joy, because he was getting to set for  _ Hinata _ and no other, the other’s eyes vibrant as he danced on the court, eyes sparkling.  _ Love,  _ because he almost couldn’t tear his eyes away from that beautiful smile, from those golden-amber eyes that locked onto him, wide and shining. 

“Ready?” 

Semi nodded, mouth dry. Hinata bumped a ball to him and Semi shifted, body sinking into familiar movements with an ease like no other, a breath of cool, fresh air, a plunge into cool waters. The ball fell towards him, and he leapt up to meet it, fingers settling into a familiar spread as the white leather skimmed across his fingers before he pushed it to where Hinata was in front of him, just a step away, already leaping into the air. 

The set was perfect, spinning off his fingers and right to Hinata in the way he’d seen Kageyama do so many times in their last match against each other. And, just like then, Hinata’s eyes were wide, his face almost utterly blank, the world narrowed down to the ball before him as his arm pulled back, then struck, swift and lethal, and drove the ball down. Semi didn’t watch it hit, didn’t care - all he could see was the two of them falling back to the court, Hinata’s eyes fixed forward, hair rippling around him, lips pursed into a small ‘O’, the flush of exertion still lingering in his cheeks. And then they hit, sneakers thumping on the ground. 

The change was instantaneous, Hinata snapping upright as he spun with a grin filling his face. “That was awesome, Semi! Let’s do it again!” 

Semi could only nod, throat and mouth dry, as they fell back into place. They continued, flubbing a few after that, but Hinata pushed on until they started to truly sync up, falling into a rhythm as Semi set in that commanding, eye-drawing way he had. And yet, somehow, he just  _ knew _ that if there had been people watching, no eyes would have found him, at least not alone. Because Hinata  _ commanded _ the court, every step, every leap, every move drawing awareness. Just like in the match, where Semi had meant to watch the entire team, analyzing and picking them apart, only to find his gaze on Hinata frequently, drawn like a moth. 

_ Amazing.  _

They only stopped when Semi realized that the thunder had gotten louder, closer, and they hastily gathered the balls into the court, pulled the net down, and packed it all away. They made it four steps beyond the cover of the gym before the skies opened up on them and dumped rain onto their heads. 

Hinata shrieked at how cool it was, but a second later he was laughing, throwing his arms back and turning his face to the sky as he stopped, as abrupt as the storm, Semi halting a step ahead of him, eyes wide as he watched Hinata’s eyes scrunch shut, white shirt going translucent, hair going flat and dark. And then he straightened up, beaming at Semi with rosy cheeks, and took a step forward, sliding their hands together with a hum. “Let’s go, Eita!” 

His mouth was dry, his heart thundering, lungs barely working - but he managed to nod, a weak smile curling his lips as he nodded, as Hinata squeezed his hand. “Sure thing… Shouyou.”

**Author's Note:**

> (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و Leave comments and hit me up at [fairylights101writes](http://fairylights101writes.tmblr.com/)


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